Welcome to the membership pages of the Royal Society of New Zealand. We are New Zealand’s national academy of scholars in science, technology and humanities. Our membership connects us at all levels of New Zealand’s society.

Organisational Membership

In addition to our individual Members, Companions and Fellows, our membership community includes Organisational Members in three different categories:

Constituent Organisations

Affiliate Organisations

Regional Constituent Organisations (Branches)

Constituent Organisations are required to nominate a discipline-based Electoral College with which to align themselves.

Constituent Organisations

Constituent Organisations help the Society identify and address issues relevant to the research, knowledge and innovation sectors, and link into the research information and activities that the Society undertakes. Through membership of the Society, Constituent Organisations gain opportunities to further engage with the wider research community in New Zealand, and benefit from interaction with research-based organisations in other disciplines across science, technology and humanities.

The Royal Society of New Zealand has around fifty Constituent Organisation Members. Constituent Organisations are generally discipline-based, that is their members group through an interest in a particular discipline. Each Constituent Organisation is a voting member of the Society, and aligns to an Electoral College.

Members of a Constituent Organisation are not full individual Members of the Royal Society of New Zealand (and vice versa) – being a Member of one doesn’t entitle you to the benefits of being a Member of the other. Information from the Society goes out to the nominated contacts for each Constituent Organisation, but not to their Members directly, and the Society does not hold records of Members of the Constituent Organisations.

For more information on Constituent Organisations, see our Constituent Organisation information sheet (download link below). The three-page document gives an overview of Constituent Organisation membership, and lists the benefits as well as the rights and responsibilities of Constituent Organisation membership of the Royal Society of New Zealand. It’s been developed for existing Constituent Organisations, as well as those considering membership.

Affiliate Organisations

Affiliate Organisations may cover a diversity of disciplines or have broad interest, rather than having a focus on a single discipline.

The Royal Society of New Zealand has ten Affiliate Organisation Members. Each Affiliate Organisation is a non-voting member of the Society.

For more information on Affiliate Organisations, see our Affiliate Organisation information sheet (download link below). The three-page document gives an overview of Affiliate Organisation membership, and lists the benefits as well as the rights and responsibilities of Affiliate Organisation membership of the Royal Society of New Zealand. It’s been developed for existing Affiliate Organisations, as well as those considering membership.

Regional Constituent Organisations (Branches)

The Society maintains close links with ten Regional Constituent Organisations (or Branches) which represent its objectives and goals on a regional basis. The objectives of these organisations are consistent with those of the Society.

The Branches are distinct, separate regional organisations with close links with the Society, rather than “local branches” as such. The Royal Society of New Zealand runs a nationwide programme of lectures and events. The Branches are strong active societies, with their own local programmes of lectures, meetings and events – sometimes, but by no means always, in association with the Royal Society of New Zealand.

Members of each of the Branches are Associate Members of the Society, but Members of the Society are not Members of the Branch closest to them. Associate Members are not full individual Members of the Royal Society of New Zealand. Information from the Society goes out to the nominated contacts for each Branch, but not to their Members directly, and the Society does not hold records of Members of the Branches.

In development: We’re developing an information sheet with more information on Branches, giving an overview of Regional Constituent Organisation membership, and listing the benefits as well as the rights and responsibilities of Branch membership of the Royal Society of New Zealand. Coming soon.

Interested in applying for organisational membership?

For an organisation seeking organisational membership of the Royal Society of New Zealand, the President or Chair of the applying organisation should write to the President of the Royal Society of New Zealand seeking to apply, and stating the aims and objects of the applying organisation. Each application is taken to the Council of the Royal Society of New Zealand for consideration.

To find out more about organisational membership, or to apply, in the first instance please contact us by email membership@royalsociety.org.nz or phone (04) 472 7421.

Electoral colleges

Fellows and Professional Members of the Royal Society of New Zealand, as well as Constituent Organisations, are required to nominate a discipline-based Electoral College with which to align themselves. Standard Members and Affiliate Organisations may – but are not required to – nominate an Electoral College. There are ten Electoral Colleges: